ISLAMABAD, Feb 09 (APP): The Senate on Monday condemned the suicide blast at Imam Bargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra in Islamabad on Friday, expressing solidarity with the families of the martyrs and the injured, as the government announced financial compensation for the affected victims.
Participating in a debate on the country’s security situation, Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik informed the House that the government would provide financial assistance of Rs1 million to each family of those martyred, while injured victims would receive compensation of up to Rs500,000. He said no monetary compensation could replace the loss of human life but assured continued government support to the affected families.
Responding to the discussion, the minister said Pakistan was confronting terrorism collectively and emphasised that it was not a time for political point-scoring. He termed terrorism a national challenge requiring unity and coordinated efforts from all stakeholders.
Aqeel Malik said maintaining law and order was a shared constitutional responsibility of the federation and provinces under the 18th Amendment, stressing the need for provincial governments to strengthen capacity-building and counterterrorism measures. Referring to recent data, he noted a higher number of terrorist incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for focused implementation of counterterrorism strategies.
He said intelligence-based operations and timely information-sharing among law enforcement and intelligence agencies had helped prevent terrorist incidents. The minister added that certain proscribed organisations, including groups designated by the United Nations Security Council, were involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan with external support.
Highlighting the regional dimension, he said Pakistan had raised concerns about proxy warfare at international forums and cited the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav as evidence of state-sponsored terrorism. He added that these issues had again been highlighted during recent diplomatic engagements.
The minister informed the House that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the Islamabad blast and that the alleged mastermind had also been apprehended. Investigations were ongoing to identify facilitators and dismantle the network involved, he added.
During the debate, Senator Sherry Rehman expressed concern over the absence of some ministers during the discussion on terrorism, calling for greater parliamentary engagement and, if required, in-camera briefings to build consensus on counterterrorism policy.
Senator Danish Kumar condemned the targeting of worshippers, describing it as an attack on humanity and religious harmony, and urged national unity against extremism. Senator Pervaiz Rashid said terrorism stemmed from extremist ideology and cautioned against politicisation during national tragedies.
Senator Abid Sher Ali stressed effective implementation of the National Action Plan, particularly by provinces receiving counterterrorism funds, and called for accountability and proper utilisation of resources.
Senators Azam Swati, Zameer Ghumro, Aun Abbas Masroor and Kamran Murtaza also expressed their views during the session.
Earlier, the House suspended regular business to hold a detailed discussion on the tragic incident and reaffirmed its commitment to combating terrorism through national unity and coordinated action.